Laterally shiftable gearing for lift mechanisms



Oct. 31, 1950 ca. I. ROCKWOOD 2,523,179

LATERALLY SHIFTABLE GEARING FOR LIFT MECHANISMS Filed March 12, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 G50. 1. Roe/W000 J4 ATTORNEY.

Oct. 31, 1950 G. l. ROCKWOOD LATERALLY SHIFTABLE GEARING FOR LIFT MECHANISMS Filed March 12, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

6130 Jjockwoo BY it WTTORN EY.

Oct. 31, 1950 G, c w D 2,528,179

LATERALLY SHIFTABLE GEARING FOR LIFT MECHANISMS Filed March 12. \1949 litmus-Sheet 3 W. 60 .1 Joana/00p BY {H ATTORNEY.

Oct. 31, 1950 G. 1. ROCKWOOD 2,528,179

LATERALLY SHIFTABLE GEARING FOR LIFT MECHANISMS Filed March 12, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 eo i Pockwoop. BY 8K0. 7

ATTORNEY- Patented Oct. 31, 1950 LATERALLY SHIFTABLE GEARING FOR LIFT MECHANISMS George I. Rockwood, Worcester, Mass.

Application March 12, 1949', Serial No. 81,151

This invention relates to apparatus for handling patients in hospitals, rest homes and other similar institutions, and is a continuation-inpart of my prior application Serial No. 777,177 filed October 1, 1947, now abandoned. I It is the general object of the invention to provide improved mechanism for raising a patient and also for turning the patient in any position of elevation. To the accomplishment of this general purpose, I provide two elevating shafts and interposed gearing so devised that the two shafts may be rotated in'relatively opposite directions for raising or lowering a patient, or may both be rotated in the same direction for turning the patient. I also provide means for so shifting the operating and connecting gears that the main gears on the elevating shafts are never left free to rotate. Consequently, the patient is at all times supported and cannot be accidentally dropped.

Another feature of the invention relates to'the provision of improved and continuously controlled manual operating means which cannot be accidentally reversed.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will'be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is 'shown' in the drawings, in which a I I? Fig. 1 is an end view of my improved patientelevating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2a is a detail side elevation of the gear box with the nearer side plate omitted, and lookmg in the direction of the arrow 2min Fig; 2;

Fig. 3 is a partial end View, with certain parts in section and showing the gear connection between the elevating shafts;

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view, looking in .the direction of the arrow 4'in Fig. 3 but with the idle gear omitted;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the idle gear and certain associated parts;

' Fig. 6 is a plan view of an eccentric shaft and a slidable bearing block associated therewith;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of certain parts shown in Fig. 6; r

Fig. 8 is a sectional end elevation, taken along the line B-8 in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the main driving gears spaced apart but connected through the idle gear; and

Fig. 10 shows a detail modification to be described.

3 Claims. (Cl. 74-355) Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, my improved patienthandling apparatus comprises side frames l0 and II rigidly connected by cross bars or tubeslZ and mounted on casters l4 by which the apparatus may be moved to present the handling mechanism above a bed on which the patient is lying. V

Straps l5, I6 and I1 and a head rest [8 are then placed under the patient and are connected by chains or cables [9 and links to pulleys 2| and drums 22 on elevating,shafts 25 and 26.

A crank or handle 21 is secured on the front end of a worm shaft 28 mounted in a gear box 29 and provided with a worm 30 engaging a worm gear 3| on a worm shaft 32. A worm 33 on the shaft 32 engages a worm gear 34 on an upright shaft35. The shaft 35 is connected by bevel gears 36 to a countershaft 3! which in turn is connected by a pinion 38 and gear 39 to a short shaft 40, which is provided with a pinion 4|,

driving a main gear 42 on the elevating shaft 25 previously described. The gear 42 rotates a similar main gear 43 on the shaft 26, either directly or indirectly as will be laterexplained. When the gears 42 and 43 engage directly, the shafts 25 and 26 then rotate in opposite directions and all of the chains l9 and link connections 20 are thus simultaneously raised or lowered.

For a more complete description of certain general features above described, reference is made to my copending application Serial No. 746,423, filed May 7, 1947.

In addition to the non-reversible gear drivev of the elevating shafts 25 and 26, my present invention relates particularly to the improved means which I have provided forseparating the main gears 42 and 43 and for then driving the gear 43 fromthe gear 42 through an idle gear 44. The

shafts 25 and 23 are thus rotated in the same direction, which is necessarywhen the chains and link connectionson one side are to be lowered and the corresponding parts on the opposite side are to be raised to effect turning the patient in a. desired direction, which direction isaccording to the direction in which the handle or crank arm 2'! is rotated.

It is essential that the main gear 43 shall be at all times under control. I have accordingly provided gear-shifting mechanism by which an idle gear 44 (Fig. 3) willbe engaged with the main gear 43 before the gear 43 is disengagedfrom the main gear 42.

The idle gear 44 (Figs. 5 and 9) is mounted on a cross shaft 50 supported in bearings 5| in the upper ends of arms 52 mounted to swing about the axis of the elevating shaft 25. The idle gear 44 is thus held continuously in mesh with the main gear 42.

The driving end of the elevating shaft 26 is journalled in a bearing block 55 mounted to slide on fixed guideways 56 (Figs. '7 and 8). The block 55 is connected by a bolt 51 (Figs. 3 and 9) to an eccentric bearing member 58 which partially encircles a disc 60 eccentrically mounted on a cross shaft 62 rotatable in fixed bearings 63 and 64 (Fig. 4) in a frame 65 which is bolted to the fixed frame of the handling apparatus.

An additional pair of eccentric discs 10 (Fig. are formed on or secured to the shaft 62 but with their centers disposed at a different radial distance and in a different angular position with reference to the axis of the shaft 62, as compared with the eccentricity of the disc 60 (see Fig. 3).

Adjustable connecting rods 75 (Fig. 5) are secured at their upper ends to a sleeve 16 pivoted on the idle gear shaft 50. At their lower ends, the rods (5 are provided with rod ends TI (Fig. 3) to receive the eccentric discs 10.

The shaft 62 is connected by gears 80 and 81 (Fig. 4) to a shaft 82 rotatable in fixed bearings by a-handle 83. As the handle 83 is shifted from the elevating position to the turning position, the eccentric disc 60 is partially rotated and acts through the member 58 to shift the bearing block idle gear 44 about the axis of the shaft 25 and 7- causing the idle gear to engage the main gear 43.

The eccentrics 60 and are so located relative to each other and are so proportioned as to eocentricity that the downward swinging movement of the idle gear 44 takes place more rapidly than are somewhat sharply pointed, as shown at 90 in Fig; 10.

= The elevating shaft 26 is thus always under the operators control and is never free to rotate and thus possibly cause a patient to be dropped.

" The location of the handle 21 at or below the level of the patient leaves one hand of the nurse oroperator available to conveniently assist the patient, and theprovision of the double worm drive prevents accidental reverse movement of the elevating mechanism when the handle 21 is released. The handle 21 must be positively operated to move the elevating mechanism in either direction.

I have thus provided improved mechanism for either raising or turning a patient as desired. The patient-may also be raised and thereafter turned in raised position without the possibility of an accident and will be securely held in any position.

- Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set'forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for handling patients, a pair of patient-elevating shafts, means to rotate one of said shafts, a large gear on said shaft, an idle gear continuously engaging said large gear, a second large gear on the second elevating shaft, a shiftable bearing block for said second shaft, means to shift said bearing block to move said second large. gear out of engagement with said first large gear, and means operating substantially simultaneously to engage said idle gear with said second large gear, and said latter means being effective to operatively engage said idle gear with said second large gear before said second large gear is fully disengaged from said first large gear.

2. In an apparatus for handling patients, a pair of patient-elevating shafts, means to rotate one of said shafts, a large gear on said shaft, an idle gear continuously engaging said large gear, a second large gear on the second elevating shaft,- a shiftable bearing block for said second shaft, an arm swinging about the axis of the first large gear and on which said idle gear is mounted, an eccentric connection which is efiective to move the bearing block for the second shaft, an additional eccentric connection which is effective to move the swinging arm to cause said idle gear to engage said second large gear, and means to move said eccentric connections in timed relation to effect engagement of said idle gear with said second large gear before said first and second large gears are fully disengaged.

3. In an apparatus for handling patints, a pair of patient-elevating shafts, means to rotate one of said shafts, a large gear on said shaft, an idle gear continuously engaging said large gear, a second large gear on the second elevating shaft, a shiftable bearing block for said second shaft, an arm swinging about the axis of the first large gear and on which said idle gear is mounted, a manually operated shaft mounted in fixed bearings, an eccentric on said latter shaft, connections from said eccentric to said swinging arm, a second eccentric on said latter shaft, and connections from said second eccentric to said shiftable bearing block, said eccentrics being radially proportioned and angularly related to effect operative engagement of said idle gear with said sec-' ond large gear before said second large gear is fully disengaged from said first large gear.-

GEORGE I. ROCKWOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

